Filing device



F. J KLINE FILING DEVICE July 12, 1932.

Filed Feb. 11, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet July 12, 1932- J KLlNE 1,867,159

FILING DEVICE Filed Feb. 11, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Fed/.1716? Patented July 12, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT 'oFFicE FRED J. KLINE, or BAYVILIiE, NEW YORK, Assrenon 'ro, Acoo rnonuors. me, or 5;;

' LONG-ISLAND orr'v, N YO K, A oonrone'rron ornnw YORK FILING nEvIoE Application filed February 11, 1931. Serial No. 514,958.

This invention relates to filing devices and more particularly to convenient and 1nexpensive equipment for filing. drawings, blueprints, maps and likematerial.

Drawings such as are used by architects, builders and engineers are not easily filed and maintained in accessible arrangement. Commonly such drawings aremerely rolled and are disposed in a corner of the room where they are used. Thus they accumulate dust and dirt and are frequently torn or disfigured. Sometimes the drawings are stored fiat in .drawers, but it is practically impossible to index'them satisfactorily, and they are not readily accessible. None of the available filing devices for such material has proved to be satisfactory.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a simple and effective filing device in which the drawings or like material are suspended and from which they can be removed quickly and conveniently, and particularly to afford a satisfactory storage receptacle for drawings and the like which can be installed in any convenient location and from which the contents can be withdrawn as required with a minimum of effort and delay.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood by reference to the following specification and the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of an'enclosure or filing cabinet embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of one of the elements of a filing unit;

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of another element of the filing unit; 1

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the last mentioned element on suitable supports with a sheet suspended therefrom;

Fig. 5 is anenlarged detail in perspective showing the index at the end of the last mentioned element; 1 Fig. 6 isa section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; Figs. 7 and 8 are views in perspective illustrating the manner in which one end of the .filing unit is locked to its support in the cabinet; 7 1

Fig. 9 is a view in-perspective of the two parts of a fastener adapted for use the Fig. 10 is a vlew inperspectiveof amodi- PLI fied'form of the filingunit elementshown in r,

Fig.2;and .1

' Figvll illustrates. another modified form of thiselement. v y

In carrying out the invention, I prefer to employ a cabinet 5 with end closures 6, al-

though the filing device may be installedin any suitable or convenient'enclosure. I provide. within the cabinet or other enclosure a supporting frame'comprising uprights 7 and transverse members 8 and 9; Preferably thereare two pairs of transverse membersfi at the rear of the enclosure for reasons hereinafter'indicated, andtwo single transverse members 9 at the front ofthe enclosure; Obviously one pair of transverse members 8 and I one of the transverse members 9 may be omitted, or if the enclosure is sufiiciently high additional transverse members may be included. v The frame as described affords aisupport for the filing units, each of which comprises a barlO and a member .11 slidable thereon to which the sheet or other material 12 to provide preferably a latch 14 pivoted at 15 and adapted to engage the transverse mem'-' her 9 at the front of the enclosure. The

bar affords a removable support .for the member 11, but it remains normally within.

the enclosure. T The member .11 is provided preferably with a 'down-tur'ned flange 16on' its upperedge and upturned lugs 17 at opposite ends forming a guideway so'that the member 11 may slide upon thebar 10. The member 11 is provided with a plurality of spaced openings 17 to receive suitable fasteners 18, for example such as those shown in Fig. 9.-having tongues 19 which. pass through the sheet 12 and are held by a keeper, 21 with openings '22 to receivethe tongues 19 and sliding locks 23. Obviously any suitable fastening device may be used, thatillustrated being, however, most convenient. 7

At its forward end the member 11 is provided with a flange 24 afiordinga support for an index 25 which may be covered con;

veniently by any suitable transparent material 26. Thus each of the members .11 may be numbered orotherwise indexed and a list of the drawings or othermaterialsuspended on each of the filing units may be maintained, so that all of the material is readily ac- Cessiblep r i It willbe understood that to obtain access to any particular drawing or sheet suspended in thecabinet it is necessary merely to slide the corresponding member 1-1 outwardly from theysupporting'bar 10 and thus to remove it from the cabinet. It may be placed upon a table or other support for convenient examination and can be returned readily to the cabinet in its proper position when desired. 1 A plurality of sheets 12 may be secured to each of the members 11 and the overlying sheets can be turned back to permit convenient examination of others. The filing device has, therefore, the maximum possible capacity, since all of the sheets are suspended in a flatcondition. Any desired filing unit can be withdrawn without disturbing any of the material in the file. As indicated in Fig. 1, provision may be made for supporting two tiers of filing'units. Provision may be imadefor one or more such tiers as desired by omitting or including suitable transverse supporting members 8 and9. V 7 i I I Fig. 10 of the drawings, I have illustrated a slightly modified form of the device whioli dispenses with the necessity for the'transverse members 9. I provide trans verse flat. members 27' lying in horizontal planesin place of the members 8 of Fig.1. A supporting bar. 28 is connected at one end with a member 29 having oppositely directedf arms 30. By turning the bar 28 one edge of the member 29 can be introduced betweenthe transverse members 27' and then turned so thatfthe arms 30 engage the transverse members'27 as indicated in the drawings. The 'bar 28 is thus firmly held and 1 is adapted to receive a cooperating element of the filing unit such asthe member 11". The bar 28v maybe braced if'desired by a 7 plate '31., As indicated in the drawings, the

upper part of the plate 31 is bent away from the bar 28 to avoid interference with the Sheet supporting member- 11; f

U A similar modification is illustrated in Fig. 11, in which thebar 32 is providedwith an upwardly directed arm 33 and a brace 34;

As-indicatedin the drawings, the upper part of the brace 34 isbent away from the bar 32; to avoid interference with the sheet sup- Fig. 3.

V In Fig. 4, I have illustrated convenient. I

brackets 36 which maybe secured to the outer wall of the cabinet or to the wall of the building to receive and support'the member 11 with the-sheet12' suspended therefrom,

whereby the-sheet may be readily examined.

A number of the members 11 may thus be supported for convenient and ready reference to the sheets.

The device as described affords a'simple,

compact and convenient filing system which is extremely flexible, inasmuch asgit may be employed forthestoraige of any number of sheets or like material: up to the full capacity of the space. The additional filing units may be added as necessary in expanding-the file to meet the needs of any particular business. Furthermore, the elementsmay be arranged conveniently in any available mit hanging of the filing units.

Various changesmay be-made in the details of construction and arrangement "of the parts without departing from theinvention or sacrificing any of theadvantages thereof.

Iclaimr. 7 I 1. In a filing device, a filing 'unit compris- .ing a bar and a member having'a downturned flange on its upper edge'to enga e the bar and slidably supported thereon an having a plurality of openings to receive fas teners whereby sheets and like material are secured thereto, spaced supports for the bar and means on the bar to engage the spaced supports. 7

2. In a filing device, a-filing unit comprising a bar and a member having. a downturned flange on its upper edgeztoengage the Space t P -i bar and slidably supported thereon and having a plurality of openings to receive fasteners whereby sheets and like material are secured thereto, spaced supportsfor the bar and means on the bar to'detachably engage the spaced supports. A 8..In a filing device, a filin'gunitjcomprising a bar and a member slidably supported thereon and having a plurality of openings to receive fasteners whereby sheets and like material are secured thereto, spaced supports for the bar and means onthe bar to detachably engage the spaced supports, ineluding a pivoted latch whereby the bar may be release H 4:. In a filing device, a filing unit comprising a bar having a notch at one end and a member slidably supported on the bar and 7 having a plurality of openings to receive fasteners whereby sheets and like material are secured thereto, spaced supports forthebar, one of the supports being adapted'to' engage the notch and means on the bar to engage the other support.

5. In a filing device, a filing unit comprising a bar having a notch at one end and a member slidably supported on the bar and having a plurality of openings to receive fasteners whereby sheets and like material are secured thereto, spaced supports for the bar, one of the supports being adapted to engage the notch and means on the bar to detachably engage the other support.

6. In a filing device, a filing unit comprising a bar having a notch at one end and amember slidably supported on the bar and having a plurality of openings to receive fasteners whereby sheets and like material are secured thereto, spaced supports for the bar, one of the supports being adapted to engage the notch and means on the bar to detachably engage the other support, including a pivoted latch whereby the bar may be released.

7. In a filing device, a filing unit comprising a bar and a member having a downturned flange to engage the bar and a plurality of openings to receive fasteners whereby' sheets and like material are secured thereto,

spaced supports for the bar and means on the bar to engage the supports.

8. In a filing device, a filing unit comprising a bar and a member having a downturned flange to engage the bar and a plurality of openings to receive fasteners whereby sheets and like material are secured thereto,

and means at one end thereof to receive an index, spaced supports, the bar being provided with means to engage the supports.

9. In a filing device, a filing unit having a plurality of spaced openings to receive fasteners whereby sheets and like material are secured thereto, and means at one end and disposed angularly with respect to the plane thereof to receive an index.

10. In a filing device, a filing unit having a notch at one end and a pivoted latch at the other, and a plurality of spaced openings to receive fasteners whereby sheets and like material are secured thereto.

11. In a filing device, a filing unit comprising a bar having a notch at one end and bar and having spaced openings to receiv fasteners.

13. In a filing device, an enclosure, sup ports at opposite ends thereof and a filing unit comprising a bar having means including a pivoted latch to engage the supports and a member slidably mounted on the bar and having spaced openings to receive fasteners.

14. In a filing device, an enclosure having an opening at one end, supports at the opposite ends thereof vand independently a plurality of filing units mounted thereon each unitrcomprising a bar and a member slidably mounted thereon and removable endwise through the opening.

15. In a filing device an enclosure having an opening at one end, supports at the opposite ends thereof and a plurality of filing units, each comprising a bar and a member slidably mounted on the bar and having a plurality of openings to receive fasteners,

mounted thereon and the slidably mounted members being removable endwise through the opening independently of the bars.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

FRED J. KLINE. 

